Display advertising device



Feb. 2, 1937. P. HoRlNsTElN DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed April 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,669,368 DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEVICE Philip I-Iorinstein, Chicago, IIL Application April zo, '1936, serial No. 76,955 4 claims.' (o1. Io-1331 This application is a continuation in part of Amy co-pending application on a display advertising device, rSerial No. 752,101 led November 8, 1934. This invention relates to'la display advertising `device.

It is an objecty of this invention to providel that is, the advertising matter is given the appearance of having a third dimension.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for accomplishing or providing the above-mentioned third dimensional eifect.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide novel means for holding the mirrors of the new device in position of use in the housing of the new display advertising device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an advertising or display device by means of which a multiplicity .of images of illuminated indicia or advertising matter is produced in such Va manner that vthe said images are seen as though they were superimposed one upon the other, therebycreating the impression in the eye of an observer that the illuminated image thus seen has a third dimension, namely, depth.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional top plan showing a preferred form of the new display advertising device;

45. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 2-2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the mirrors embodied in the new device; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the light rays from the light source in thehousing are reflected in order to produce the appearance of depth in the printing or advertising which is inscribed upon the opaque mirror which is embodied in the new device.

A preferred form of the new display device is shown in the drawing, -is therein generally indicated at I0, and comprises a housingor casing II which includes a rear wall I2 and sidewalls I3. The inner surfaces of the rear wall I2 and 5 side walls I3 are coated with any suitable lightreflective material so as to convert the same into reflectors.

The casing or housing II has an open front I4 and mounted vupon each 'of the side walls I3, 10 adjacent the open front Il of the casing isa guide rail I5, the upper end portions of these guide rails I5 being inclined toward the rear walll I2 of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2.

The casing II has an upwardly extending por- 15 tion I6 at the front'of the same and this portion I6 projects upwardly above the top wall of the casing I I (Fig. 2). The top wall of the casing is generally indicated at I'I and comprises a relatively stationary portion I8 and a relatively mov- 20 able portion I9 and this relatively movable portion I9 is hingedly mounted, as at 2|), upon the upward extension I6,of the casing (Fig. 2). Pivotally mounted -upon the stationary portion I8 of the top wall of the casing II, as at 2|, is a. latch 25 member 22 and this latch member 22 includes a portion 23 which is adapted to be projected over the movable section I9 of the top wall I'I of the casing so as to retain the said movable section I9 in closed position, and in whicli`I position the same 30 lies parallel to, and in a plane above, that of the stationary section I8 of the top wall of the casing II. Provided on the inner and bottom surface of the movable section I9 of the top wall of the casing I I is a depending flange I9 and this flange 35 I9' extends across the casing between the sides thereof (Fig. 2). Provided at the sides 'of the casing I I, and at the front of the same, are anges 24. Likewise provided inthe casing at the front of the same and at the y,bottom and at the sides 40 thereof are flanges 26. y' j Mounted on the casing II, upon the bottom wall 2'I thereof, is an electrical socket 28 and arranged in this socket 28 is a light source in the form of a light bulb 29 and leading from the 45 socket 28 to a point outside the casing IIis a conductor 30 which may be connected to a wall outlet or like source ofcurrent. Mounted in the socket 28 is a flasher 3l, of conventional design.

but the use of this .flasher is optional since the 50 new display device may be used either with or of which the air heated inthe casing by the source of light 29 may escape therefrom.

The new display device or sign includes two separate mirror units 33 and 34 which are arranged in the casing II at the open front I4 of the same. The front mirror unit 33 includes a transparent mirror 35 which is composed of a sheet of glass, which is preferably but not necessarily rectangular in shape and has a coating 36 of silver or other analogous and equivalent light-reflective material on the back thereof, and the front unit 33 also includes a sheet of glass 31 which is coextensive with and is arranged at the rear or back of the transparent mirror 35, the transparent mirror 36 and the glass sheet 31 being bound together, around their marginal edges, by any suitable means such as the adhesive tape 38, so as to bind the same together into a single unit. It is to be noted that the tape 38 is very thin, being only about 0.008" thick, and because of this thinness it does not separate the rear surface of the front mirror unit 33 and the front surface of the rear mirror 34 but permits the same to come into direct contact with each other (Fig. 3).

'I'he rear mirror unit 34 consists of a glass sheet 39 which is preferably but not necessarily rectangular in shape and this glass sheet 39 has an opaque silver or equivalent coating 40 on the rear side thereof (Fig. 3), this opaque coating 40 being interrupted, at intervals, by means of light-penetrable and preferably translucent indicia 4l which may have the form of advertising matter or the like, and these light-penetrable or translucent indicia 4| are preferably formed upon the opaque silver surface 40 of the rear mirror 39 by means of the silk screen process, or otherwise, so that the letters or indicia 4| are, in effect, interruptions or cut-out portions which are formed in the silver surface 40 of the mirror The casing II is preferably provided, at the front thereof, with a depending foot or pedestal 42 so that when the device is in use it will stand at an angle relative to thevhorizontal so that the front of the same will be at approximately a right angle to the observers line of vision.

In assembling the new device, the latch member 22 is pivoted so that the end portion 23 is moved out ,of engagement with the movable section I9 of the wall I1, whereupon the said movable section I9 is pivoted, at 20, into open position (counterclockwise, from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2). The two mirror units 33 and 34 are then inserted into the casing Il, through the thus opened top wall of the same, and in the order in which they are shown in the drawing, that is, with the transparent mirror unit 33 in front of the opaque mirror unit 34. When thus inserted into the casing II the mirror units 33 and 34 will rest against the inclined guide rails I5, whereupon the movable section I9 of the top wall of the casing may be dropped into lowered position, as in Fig. 2, and, as the said movable section I9 of the top Wall I1 is thus lowered, the depending flange I9' thereof engages the upper end portions of the mirror units 33 and 34 and pivots the same away from the guide rails I5 so that they will lie parallel to the open front of the casing, and in the position in which they are shownin the drawing, it being noted that when the mirror units 33 and 34 are in position of use the front surface of the rear and opaque mirror 34 is arranged behind and in close proximity to and preferably in direct contact with the rear surface of the front mirror unit 33.

Accordingly, when the light source or lamp 29 is illuminated the light rays therefrom will be reflected, by the reflective inner surfaces of the side and rear walls I3 and l2 of the casing II, respectively, against the opaque or silvered rear surface 40 of the inner and rear opaque mirror 39, whereupon the said light rays being thus reflected, will not pass through the silvered and opaque surface 40 of the said opaque mirror 39 but will pass through the transulcent indicial 4I which form and are, in effect, cut-out portions or interruptions in the opaque silvered rear surface 40 of the opaque mirror 34-39. As the light rays thus pass through the translucent and preferably brightly colored indicia 4I they pass through the transparent glass sheet 31, which acts as a protective covering for the silvered rear surface of the transparent front mirror 35, and then engage the silvered rear surface 36 of the front and transparent mirror 33-35. Accordingly, some' of the rays from the light source 29 will thereupon pass through the transparent front mirror 35, thereby rendering visible the illuminated indicia 4I and forming the first and foremost image of the same, whereas other light rays from the light source 29 will be reflected, as shown in Fig. 4, backwardly against the opaque mirror 34-39, whence they are again reflected forwardly through the front and transparent mirror 33-35, thereby creating a multiplicity of images of the translucent indicia 4I, it being noted that the first image is formed by a single reflection the second by light reflected twice, once in each mirror, etc. It is also to be noted that by reason of the fact that the transparent and opaque mirrors 33-34 are arranged close together, that is, in actual contact and back to back, the multiplicity of images thus created produces the impression in the eye of an observer,stationed at 43, (Fig. 4), and in front of the casing Il, that the illuminated indicia 4I have depth, that is, .a third dimension, this impression being caused by the fact that the images produced are arranged close together and are superimposed one upon the other, whereas if the front transparent mirror 33 and the rear opaque mirror 34 were separated, that is, spaced an inch or so apart, the multiplicity of images produced would likewise be separated, rather than being superimposed one upon the other,

and hence would not produce the desired effect, that is, they would produce the appearance of a multiplicity of images but not the desired result of a single image having a third dimension, namely, depth.

It will be noted that while the glass sheet 31 acts as a protective covering for the coated rear surface of the front mirror 35 it also has an effect upon the reflection of the light since if the glass sheet 31 is eliminated entirely and the front mirror 35 and the rear mirror 34 are separated from each other by an air space the images reproduced will likewise be separated and will not be so closely superimposed upon each other as to produce the desired optical illusion that they have a third dimension', namely. depth.

When the new display device is in use the air heated therein by the lamp 29 will escape through the openings or bailles 32, thereby preventing the reflective coatings on the` mirrors i from being damaged due overheating of the air in the` casing il.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, withoutv departing from the spirit of the invenion. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the i -1 scope of the appended claims. f

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as-new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:l

; 1. A display advertising device comprising a casing having an open front and including side walls and a rear wall having light-reflective inner surfaces, a light source in the said casing, a front mirror unit arranged in the said casing at the said open front thereof and including a light penetrable mirror having a rear surface provided with a light-reflective and light-penetrable coating, said front mirror having a light penetrable backing, and a rear mirror unit arranged in the said casing behind and in contact with the said backing of the said front mirror, said rear mirror unit having a rear surface provided with an opaque light reflective coating and said second-named and opaque coating having interruptions formed therein in the form of light-penetrable advertising or display matter.

42. A display advertising device comprising a casing having an open front and including side walls and a rear wall having light-reflective inner surfaces, a light source in the said casing, a front mirror unit arranged in the said casing at the said open front thereof and including a transparentJ mirr'or having a rear surface provided with a light-refiective transparent coating, said transparent front mirror having a transparent backing, and a rear mirror unit arranged in the said casing behind and in contact throughout substantially all of its front surface with the said backing of the said front mirror unit, said rear mirror unit having a rear surface provided with an opaque reflective coating and said secondnamed and opaque coating having interruptions formed therein in the form of light-penetrable advertising or display matter.

3. A display advertising device comprising a casing having an open front and including side walls and a rear wall having light-reflective inner surfaces, alight source in the said casing, a front mirror unit arranged in the said casing at the said open front thereof and including a transparent mirror having a rear surface provided with a light-reflective transparent coating, said front mirror unit including a light-penetrable sheet arranged behind the said transparent mirror and in contact with the said transparent coating of the latter, and a rear mirror unit arranged in the said casing behind and in contact throughout substantially all of its front surface with the rear surface of the said light-penetrable sheet, said rear mirror unit having a rear surface provided with a light-reflective coating and said second-named and opaque coating having interruptions formed therein in the form of lightpenetrable advertisingl or display matter.

4. A display advertising device comprising a casing having an open front and including side walls and a rear wall having a light-reflective inner surface, a light sourcel in the said casing, a mirror unit arranged in. the said casing at the said open front thereof, said casing including a top wall having an opening formed therein through which said mirror unit may be inserted into and removed from said casing, a closure member movably mounted upon said casing for closing and opening, a pair of guide members mounted in said casing below the said opening in said top wall of the casing and upon the inner surfaces of 4the said side walls thereof for guldingthe said mirror unitinto the said casing, said closure member having a flange formed on the inner and bottom surface thereof for engage- `nient with the upper end portion of said mirror unit so as to move the same away from said guide members and into position of use in said casing.

PHILIP HoRINsTErN. 

